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What To Look for When Buying Second-Hand Furniture

Upcycling, restoring and repurposing second-hand furniture is a great way to grab a bargain that can be fixed up for a home, but make sure you are paying too much and that the furniture is worth it.

20/05/2022

 

 

 

 

Second-hand furniture is a great way to build-up a collection that can be placed in a home, but when shopping around for second-hand bits, whether going shop to shop or buying online, make sure you are getting what you pay for and that the piece will be worth it once you have worked your magic on it.

 

 

 

 

 

Buying Second-hand Furniture Online

An easy way to find bargains on furniture is to go shopping online. There are plenty of local sources of second-hand furniture and it is easy to be misled if you are not able to view the piece in person. If there is a piece of furniture that you like and the photos don't provide enough information, get in touch with the advertiser and ask for more details or if they have additional images they can provide or send through to you.

 

 

 

 

When the opportunity presents itself to view the furniture in person, take advantage of this or make arrangements to view the furniture before you hand over the payment. Some sellers won't even let you view before you pay but do try and stress your interest and would like to see what you are buying, especially if it is not a bargain or inexpensive item.

 

 

 

 

Things to Lookout For

 

  • Have an idea in mind of what you are looking for?
  • Is the furniture wood or veneered chipboard?
  • Do doors fit on top of the frame or are inset into the frame?
  • Are there large cracks in the wood?
  • Look for deep gouges that you may not be able to repair
  • Is the frame sturdy?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Know What You want

If you already have an idea of the piece of furniture you want, this will give you a better idea to look at what is available and then make up your mind which will be the best for the project. Even if you don't find what you are looking for on the first shopping expedition, keep at it. You will no doubt come across other bargain pieces that you could upcycle and put to good purpose in the home.

 

 

When you come across veneered furniture, double-check that it is a hardwood that has been veneered and not chipboard or MDF

 

 

 

 

Veneered Board

Any piece of furniture that is veneered chipboard or MDF will be difficult to work with. A veneer is a thin layer, usually around 2 to 3mm in thickness, that is glued on top of an inferior board product such as chipboard. You won't be able to sand this without sanding away the veneer. If the veneer is glued on top of a hardwood, it is usually because the hardwood is an inferior quality or one that does not have a good grain appearance. In this case, you can still sand away the veneer and reveal the wood underneath

 

 

Easy To Modify

When you know what you are planning to do with the furniture, particularly when upcycling, keep in mind the details on the piece. If you want to replace frilly or detailed doors make sure these can be replaced easily, and the same applies to drawer fronts. Keep in mind what you need to do before you buy the piece so that when you get home you know it can be done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unless you want the furniture to have character, try to avoid pieces that have large cracks, deep gouges, or holes.

 

 

 

Damaged Furniture

Furniture that is badly damaged or has large cracks or deep gouges that are visible, these are not always easily repaired or at least invisible once repaired and it might be a good idea to look at another piece as an alternative.

 

 

Bargain Away

When you come across a piece that you really like, perhaps some bargaining can be done to bring down the price slightly. Most items are generally overpriced, and a bit of bargaining goes a lot way to getting a bit of discount. Keep in mind the cost to upcycle any piece before you set a price as you may end up paying a lot and then still spending a fortune to upcycle. Do some research on pricing ahead of time so that you know in your mind what the piece is worth.

 

 

 

DIY Your New Furniture

Second-hand furniture usually only needs a bit of tender loving care and if the piece is in good condition, it will take less time and cost less to upcycle. Since you already have that idea in mind of what you will be doing, inspect the piece BEFORE you buy to ensure that you can do what needs to be done. If you are looking for a piece with character, small dings and scratches add to the furniture but if that is not what you are going for, make sure it can be sanded to make good on any damages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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